Self-feeding paint roller device



Oct. 18, 1949, A. BLEIER El AL 2,435,428

SELF-FEEDING PAINT ROLLER DEVICE Filed Aug. 7, 1947 INVENTORS' lrzhur fileier BY Zarry Alf/nan ATTORNEY Patented Get. 18, 1949 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE.

SELF-FEEDING PAINT ROLLER- DEVICE Arthur Bleier, Sunnyside, and Larry Altman, New York, N. Y.; said Bleier assignor to said Altman ApplicationAugust 7, 1947, Serial No. 766,942

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to roller devices for applying paint to wall surfaces in the form of designs, figures, etc., and the main object is the provision of certain new and useful improvements whereby the utility, practicability and efiiciency in handling or operating the device are substantially enhanced.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means whereby a constant and continuous coating of the applicator roller with paint is at all times assured, so that as the roller is moved along the wall the intensity of the paint on the wall remains constant at all times.

The above broad as well as additional and more detailed objects will become apparent in the following description, wherein characters of reference refer to like-numbered parts in the accompanying drawing. It is to be noted that the drawing is intended for the purpose of illustration only and that it is neither desired nor intended to limit the invention to any or all of the specific details of construction shown, excepting insofar as they may be deemed essential to the invention.

Referring briefly to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the device.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2. i

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the application of the device in applying a painted design to a wall.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral Ill indicates a housing or container which is shown substantially rectangular in horizontal cross-section, whose rear wall I I rises to a higher level than the front wall I2, and whose side walls I3 are symmetrically elongated in an upward and forward direction to provide ears I4 extending forward of the container l0. Aligned slots l5 are cut at an angle, substantially as shown, into the ears I4, and are receptive of axial pins l6 extending from a roller H. The roller Il may be termed the applicator roller, and is provided in the manner of such rollers with a raised tread or design, which in the drawing, consists of raised rubber bosses I8 so arranged that as the wetted roller is moved along the wall the continuous design represented by the bosses is printed on the wall.

In the inner sides of the opposed side walls [3, vertical grooves [9 are provided, open at the top taken on the line 5-5 and terminating at points or stops 22 positioned above the container bottom 23. Two rollers 20 and 24 having axial pins 2| extending therefrom, are mounted one above the other in the container ID with the pins 2| registering loosely in the grooves l9, whence the lower roller 20 has its cylindrical surface supported above but close to the bottom 23. Owing to the length of the ear slots l5, and the length of the side grooves l9, and the diameters of the rollers 20, 24, and I1, when the rollers 20 and 24 are positioned in the container, the tread of the design on the roller ll will rest by gravity against the surface of the upper roller 24. A removable handle 25 is provided on the rear wall ll of the container, and preferably slopes downward substantially in the manner shown.

When paint in the container is at a level sufficient to reach the roller 20, rotation of the latter will coat its entire surface with the paint. When the device is used as illustrated, the roller I! will be in constant contact with the roller 24, and as the latter will also be in constant contact with the roller 20, it is apparent that a continuous supply of paint will pass from the paint in the container onto the tread of the roller l1. Both rollers 20 and 24 are shown as solid in the drawing; however, the lower roller could be made hollow, not shown, and open at the ends, with its pins 2| supported on spiders, not shown, in which case the container would be able to hold a greater quantity of liquid paint.

The construction above described permits of ready removal of all the three rollers from the container for any purpose, for instance, in order to clean either the rollers or the container, or both.

Obviously, modifications in form and structure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

A device of the class described comprising a substantially rectangular container having a bottom wall, front and rear walls, and side walls, said front wall being of lesser height than said rear wall, each of said side walls having a vertical groove extending down the inner surface thereof, said grooves lying in a common vertical plane and having limit stops at their lower ends spaced equidistant above said bottom wall, a plurality of rollers having axial pins extending therefrom, said rollers being mounted in the container one above the other with said pins registering loosely in said grooves, said side walls having ears extending upward and forward thereof beyond the plane of said front wall, each of said ears having a slot extending therethrough, said slots lying in a common plane sloping downwardly at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees to said vertical plane, an applicator roller having axial pins extending therefrom, said applicator roller being mounted between said ears with the said pins thereof registering loosely in said slots, the lower extremities of said slots being positioned between the outer extremities of said ears and said vertical plane, the sum of the radii of said applicator roller and the topmost of said plurality of rollers being greater than the distance between said lower extremities of said slots and said vertical plane measured along said downwardly sloping plane, said applicator roller thereby being normally urged by gravity into relatively loose steady contact with said topmost of said plurality of rollers, said container being adapted to hold a liquid, said rear wall having a handle extending 20 2,424,323

rigidly from the upper edge thereof at an angle to said rear wall and lying substantially in said downwardly sloping plane, said downwardly slopil'lg plane being positioned substantially at the top of the device and above the axis of said topmost of said plurality of rollers whereby the center of gravity of the device lies appreciably below said downwardly sloping plane.

ARTHUR BLEIER.

LARRY ALTMAN.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,713,750 Dow May 21, 1929 2,118,719 Wraal May 24, 1938 Millholland July 22, 1947 

